Police officers remove protesters who have gathered in Town Hall Square to protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s state visit to Australia. | Image Credit: Reuters
Australian leaders on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) urged calm in Sydney after clashes between police and protesters opposing Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia and called on protests to remain peaceful. Police said 27 people, including 10, were arrested after violence erupted when police moved to clear thousands of protesters who had gathered near Sydney’s town hall on Monday evening.
Protesters, including opposition lawmakers, said they were assaulted by authorities on Tuesday (February 9, 2026).
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was “devastated” by the violence and urged protesters to express their views peacefully.
“Australians want two things. They don’t want to bring conflict here. They want to stop killing, whether it’s Israelis or Palestinians, but they don’t want to bring conflict here,” Albanian radio station Triple M said.
“Causes aren’t advanced by scenes like this — they’re weakened.”
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New South Wales State Police said in a statement that no serious injuries were reported.
Special powers have been given to the police
Thousands gathered in central Sydney on Monday (February 8, 2026) after 15 people were killed at a Jewish religious event at Bondi Beach in December, Mr. Herzog protested against his visit to Australia.
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Police were empowered to use rarely invoked powers during protests, including directing crowds to move, restricting their access to certain areas and searching vehicles. A legal challenge to those restrictions was dismissed by a Sydney court on Monday. Mr. Herzog was not at the protest site.
Television footage showed some protesters trying to push through the blockades as authorities pushed them back. When the police tried to stop them, some were found lying on the ground.
Police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
New South Wales state Premier Chris Minnes defended the police actions, saying officers needed to make quick decisions in tense and volatile situations and urged calm.
“I understand there has been criticism of the New South Wales Police, I want to make it clear that they are caught in an impossible situation,” he told a press conference.
In a statement from the Palestine Action Group Sydney, protesters were unable to leave the event because they were surrounded by police on all sides.
“Police began charging the crowd with horses, pepper-spraying the crowd indiscriminately, punching and arresting people,” the group said.
Abigail Boyd, an opposition Greens MLA in state parliament, said she was punched by officers while trying to vacate the site.
“I have a very sore arm and shoulder where they hit me. I’m really shocked,” he said at a press conference.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said police actions were justified and that they had shown restraint.
“The police did what they had to do, which was to hold the line and then move the protesters back with the intention of dispersing them,” he said.
“An angry and violent mob marching on police is not a situation I want our officers in.”
Palestine Action Group Sydney chief Josh Lees said the group’s supporters would hold a rally outside the city’s police headquarters on Tuesday evening in response to Monday’s clashes.
Published – February 10, 2026 at 08:19 am IST
